Communication glitches at a facility for processing airline flight paths caused delays throughout the United States on Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed. ( dpa )
FAA officials were working to solve the problem at the facility in Atlanta, Georgia. In the meantime, a backup system in Salt Lake City, Utah has begun taking over but at a slower pace, said Tammy Jones, an FAA spokeswoman.
"We are working with airlines right now to ensure everything works as efficiently as possible," Jones said.
The problem was not expected to last beyond Tuesday and the system could resume functioning within hours, Jones said.
Arrival and departure delays were reported at airports in several eastern and Midwestern cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago and Baltimore-Washington.